SLAVERY AND TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

Motion Text

That this House welcomes the unanimous decision of the Church of England Synod to acknowledge and apologise for the complicity of the Church in the slave trade; pays tribute to the decade-long campaign led by African countries and representatives of the African diaspora to gain international recognition for the injustices perpetrated in the era of slave trade and to address the lasting legacy of poverty and discrimination; recognises the inspiration derived from Pope John Paul II in his 1991 apology for the `sins of Christian Europe against Africa'; believes that, on the eve of the 2007 bicentenary anniversary of abolition, it is no longer sufficient merely to express regret that slavery occurred; urges the Government to prepare a declaration that recognises slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity; and calls upon the Home Office Bicentenary Advisory Group to identify a suitable opportunity for an apology to be made on behalf of the nation.